An increasing trend can be found that motor vehicle operators increase the power offered by a motor of a motor vehicle by power-increasing contacts or manipulations, such as so-called chip tuning, on a motor control device. By the so-called chip tuning, the torque made available by the motor is especially increased which constitutes, for example, an input parameter for a transmission of a motor vehicle. The chip tuning and the associated increase of motor power or of a torque made available by the motor can cause damages to the motor or also to other power drive side components of a motor vehicle such as the transmission, for example, since the power drive side components of the motor vehicle are operated outside layout limits. If these damages caused by power-increasing contacts or manipulations appear within the warranty period or security period, the expenses caused thereby are usually assumed either by the motor vehicle manufacturer or by suppliers of the power train side components, since the cause of the damage cannot be demonstrated or is demonstrated only with difficulty. Therefore, on the side of the motor vehicle manufacturers and on the side of the suppliers, there is need to detect an increase of the motor power produced, for example, by chip tuning, in order that warranty claims or security claims can be justified in case of damage of the motor vehicle caused by power-increasing contacts or manipulations.
In the case of power-increasing contacts or manipulations, a distinction must be made between tuning steps where, on one hand, by manipulation of the software implemented in a motor control device due to the power-increasing contact, the motor control device issues an increased motor torque signal (for example, as CAN signal) and where, on the other hand, despite the tuning steps conducted, the motor control device issues a non-increased nominal motor torque.
Departing to a first aspect of the instant invention this problem is solved by a method for operating power drive side components of a motor vehicle.